Update on Cold August and Summer 2004 in Saint Cloud
There have been no daily cold records since Saturday, August 21. On that morning, August 21, the Saint Cloud Municipal Airport tied the all-time August record cold low with a low temperature of 33°F. The only other August day to get this cold was August 31, 1974. While frost was noted in much of central, northeastern, and north central Minnesota, there was no official frost at the Saint Cloud Airport. The earliest recorded frost in Saint Cloud history was September 1, 1974 when the temperature dropped to 29°F.
While Saint Cloud tied its all-time August coldest low, Hibbing (low of 27°F) broke its August record cold low on Saturday morning. Embarrass also dropped to 20°F, setting yet another statewide record. Earlier this month, International Falls set an August record cold high temperature, the first time that an August high didn't reach 50°F in recorded history.
Through the morning of Sunday, August 22, Saint Cloud has set or tied 8 record cool temperatures on five different days in August so far: 7 daily temperature records and one monthly temperature record. This makes a total of 12 record cool temperatures on 9 days in July and August.
The cause of the cold July and August has been a persistent high from Alaska through the West Coast states. While this pattern has set up very warm temperatures from Alaska and British Columbia into Arizona, it has kept a persistent north to northwest steering current from the Arctic Ocean into the Canadian Prairie Provinces and the Northern Plains States. In June, we had breaks in the cool pattern, so we had some warm, humid, and rainy periods, but those breaks from the northwest flow have been few and far between in July and August.
|
Record Temperatures in August 2004
|
Temperature(°F)
|
Date
|
Old Record
|
|
August Record Cold High
|
33 (tied record)
|
August 21
|
August 31, 1974
|
|
Daily Record Cold High
|
57
|
August 10
|
66 in 1994
|
|
Daily Record Cold Average
|
54
|
August 10
|
57 in 1903
|
|
56 (tied record)
|
August 11
|
1964
|
|
|
51
|
August 20
|
53 in 1950
|
|
|
52
|
August 21
|
53 in 1923
|
|
|
Daily Record Cold Low
|
37
|
August 19
|
40 in 1950,1967
|
|
33
|
August 21
|
42 in 1923
|
|
Through the first 30 days of August, the average August Saint Cloud temperature from the National Weather Service in Chanhassen has been 62.1°F (average high of 73.5°F and an average low of 50.7°F). This is 5.4°F cooler than normal to date. It appears certain that August 2004 will beat August 1992 for the second coolest August in Saint Cloud records and the coolest in 118 years. However, August 1886 will retain its place as the coolest August in Saint Cloud history.
|
AUGUST (122 Years; Average = 68.2°F; Standard Deviation = 2.8°F) |
|||||
|
WARMEST |
COLDEST |
||||
|
Rank |
Temperature |
Year |
Rank |
Temperature |
Year |
|
1 |
77.1°F |
1900 |
1 |
59.1°F |
1886 |
|
So far
this Aug. |
62.1°F
|
August 1-30,
2004 |
|||
|
2 |
75.2°F |
1947 |
2 |
63.2°F |
1992 |
|
3 |
75.0°F |
1937 |
3 |
63.3°F |
1977 |
|
4 |
73.4°F |
1983 |
4 |
63.5°F |
1974 |
|
5 |
73.2°F |
1938 |
5 |
63.6°F |
1903 |
|
6 |
73.0°F |
1930 |
6 |
63.8°F |
1985 |
|
7 |
72.6°F |
1969 |
7 |
63.9°F |
1986 |
|
8(tie) |
72.3°F |
1909 |
8(tie) |
64.4°F |
1927 |
|
8(tie) |
72.3°F |
1913 |
8(tie) |
64.4°F |
1950 |
|
10 |
72.1°F |
1881 |
10 |
64.7°F |
1994 |
The continued cool weather through Monday has maintained the 2004 average meteorological summer (June 1 - August 31) temperature at 64.3°F (average high of 75.2°F and an average low of 53.3°F). We do have the potential for a warmer-than-normal day today (see my latest forecast) but we should hang on to 4th place today.
Ironically, some of the warmest weather this warm season may occur Wednesday through Friday after meteorological summer ends!
|
SUMMER (122 Years; Average = 68.2°F; Standard Deviation = 2.1°F) |
|||||
|
WARMEST |
COLDEST |
||||
|
Rank |
Temperature |
Year |
Rank |
Temperature |
Year |
|
1 |
72.7°F |
1933 |
1 |
62.7°F |
1992 |
|
2 |
72.6°F |
1900 |
2 |
63.3°F |
1886 |
|
3 |
72.1°F |
1921 |
3 |
63.8°F |
1915 |
|
So far this summer |
64.3°F |
June 1 - Aug. 29, 2004 |
|||
|
4(tie) |
72.0°F |
1936 |
4 |
64.4°F |
1945 |
|
4(tie) |
72.0°F |
1988 |
5 |
64.5°F |
1985 |
|
4(tie) |
72.0°F |
1894 |
6
|
64.6°F
|
1958
|
|
7 |
71.7°F |
1931 |
7 |
65.0°F |
1927 |
|
8 |
71.4°F |
1887 |
8 |
65.1°F |
1884 |
|
9 |
71.3°F |
1930 |
9(tie) |
65.2°F |
1903 |
|
10 |
71.1°F |
1932 |
9(tie) |
65.2°F |
1951 |
Watch this page for updates as August continues!
Send Comments to Bob Weisman
Other statements on Minnesota's cold summer
- Cold Low Temperatures on August 19-21 from Minnesota State Climatology Office
- Update on Cold August and Summer in Central and Southern Minnesota from NWS Chanhassen (Updated Daily)
- Minnesota State Climatology Office (8/11/2004)
- All Time Cold High Temperature at International Falls from NWS Duluth (8/11/2004)
